


An Evening's Ride

by minoriaki



Category: THE iDOLM@STER, THE iDOLM@STER: SideM
Genre: M/M, Witchprince, just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 20:57:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15871614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minoriaki/pseuds/minoriaki
Summary: The witch, Minori, takes Kyoji for an evening out on a broomstick.





	An Evening's Ride

This is nothing like riding a horse, Kyoji thought as he gritted his teeth and clung to Minori's soft dark robe, his broom sending the two of them skyward and away from the balcony where the two met in secret. The floral scent that always followed the witch filled his nose.

After an embrace and a sly smile, Minori had asked him to join him for a ride, and with a weakness for witches with kind eyes (or at least this one), he had agreed.

It would be just like riding a horse, he was told. Or at least Minori had thought--from what Kyoji could tell, Minori probably hadn't ridden in quite some time if this was his impression of what it was like.

His face buried in Minori's back, head tucked under the brim of his wide-brimmed hat and his eyes firmly closed, he heard the witch click his tongue in disapproval. "Kyoji. Look."

"Mm."

"I'll use your full title if you don't look."

"Mmmmph."

Minori laughed quietly, a soft huff that Kyoji felt on his face and beneath his fingers, the connection between their bodies soft and familiar. "Oh Kyoji, Second Prince of the Taka-"

"W-wait. Just give me a second." Kyoji whispered, slowly sitting up straight before opening his eyes.

What he saw was beyond what he would have imagined.

Beneath him he saw the city surrounding the castle lit by countless lamps and torches as the townsfolk fell asleep. It reminded him of a dying fire, the lights below resembling flickering embers in the midst of the darkness creeping in, long shadows growing and expanding as night gently embraced the kingdom.

There was a blaze of pink and orange on the horizon past the forest (had he ever been able to see past it before?) and reflected on the lake as the water slowly wrapped the sun in black to rest before the next morning, moon and stars beginning to peek into view.

He'd seen views like this from the towers of the keep, but never in the evening and never like this.

It was almost all he could focus on until the broom slowed to a stop, and Minori decided to stand up on the handle of the broomstick.

"Hey-"

"It's alright." Minori winked. He gracefully balanced on the broomstick and turned himself around to face him, hands on his hips, lightly floating back down. Minori's robe fluttered in the gentle wind as he faced the prince fully, casually taking one of Kyoji's white gloved hands in his own. "I just wanted to see your reaction," he said quietly, as if there was anyone around but the two of them to hear.

"A-ah," Kyoji replied, hands trembling slightly, feeling something in the witch's face that was almost too much for him to bear--he averted his eyes before the pounding of his heart betrayed him.

Kyoji instead looked out over the city. It was strange to see the place as it was now--normally he was only permitted to leave the castle for official business, though on many occasions he had stolen away in secret for a taste of freedom. But that was always during the day.

That wasn't the most overwhelming part though, he thought to himself as he avoided Minori's gaze. A warm rush spread to his ears as he set out to occupy his thoughts in ways that didn't involve the witch he felt so deeply for right in front of him--it was common for him to cough and turn around to hide the blush on his face or to rush off when he became embarrassed. However, there was no escaping now, and they were so close that he felt exposed. He did his best to look nonchalant, and tried to find landmarks in the town below instead.

Kyoji pointed. "There's a woman who lives down there who is the only one I've ever been able to get a reliable cure for the cold from. She'll only ever give it to me if I sing for her though. You'd like her--you both like embarrassing me.

"Two young boys live in that house. Twins." Minori hummed in response, leaning closer to better follow his view. "Their mom can't handle them, and one of them just got a broken leg because they were playing hide and seek and one chose to hide in a tree with a particularly angry bird." Kyoji felt himself smile.

He could hear music float up from one of the city squares, a group of musicians tuning their instruments before playing a sweet tune that echoed and fractured as it bounced off the surrounding buildings.

He paused, words fully formed on his tongue but waylaid as he noticed the sun finally begin to fully dive beneath the horizon.

Truth be told, the second prince, unlike his father and older brother who dismissed these people as below them, was smitten with the simple lives the people of the city lived.

He turned to see Minori's face a few inches from his, watching him with a sly expression on his face.

Perhaps he was smitten with more than just the townspeople.

"This is amazing. Thank you." Kyoji meant it, and the gratitude rolled off his tongue with conviction.

"I thought you might like it." The warmth on the witch's face was reflected in the prince's stomach, and he felt his heart leap.

He had seen the loveliest sight of his life that night, but it wasn't the town or the sunset--it was Minori's eyes, pools of amber in front of him reflecting the oranges and reds of the sky around them as the sunlight died. It was the hair softly blowing around the witch's face, held down by his hat. It was the smile that greeted him, and that he fixated on even now.

"Minori I...." he paused, but all off his thoughts left him as he felt his own body lean forward, his hand on Minori's cheek, and soft lips against his own as Minori leaned forward slightly to meet him.

Their lips parted as the sky darkened and the stars began to shine their fullest and brightest, the night softly embracing the two of them in the cover of darkness.

The prince only returned to his chambers in the early morning, gently falling into his bed as sleep overtook him, dreaming of brown eyes and the smell of roses.

**Author's Note:**

> It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,  
> The holy time is quiet as a Nun  
> Breathless with adoration; the broad sun  
> Is sinking down in its tranquility;  
> The gentleness of heaven broods o'er the Sea[.]  
> \-- William Wordsworth 
> 
> Thanks for reading.


End file.
